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Christopher Perry

Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences

Chris Perry, associate professor of Media Arts and Sciences, holds an M.S. in Media Arts and Sciences from the Media Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.F.A. in Art from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His B.A., in physics and astronomy, is from Amherst College.

His primary interests are in computer graphics and visual storytelling, particularly the intersection of the two.

Perry comes to Hampshire from Pixar Animation Studios where he worked as a technical director on the films A Bugs Life and Finding Nemo and as a graphics software engineer on Toy Story 2.

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With an affordable digital camera and simple editing software, anyone can be an image maker. But what does it take to be an image master? How does one take control over the images and films one makes rather than ceding it to the engineers of the software and hardware? This course is designed for students who seek mastery over the digital images they create, capture, edit, and/or distribute. The class will expose the foundational core that hides behind the interfaces of digital imaging and filmmaking technologies but which is crucial to using them with precision and finesse. Topics that may be covered include digital image representation, compression/decompression (codecs), frame rate changes, compositing, matting, tracking, color correction, color grading, and more. Prerequisite: An evaluation/passing grade from at least one media production class (film, video, animation, photography).

This course will cover intermediate topics that pertain to the production of visual imagery with the tools of three-dimensional computer graphics (CG). Lectures, readings, and homework assignments will explore subjects including organic shape modeling, character articulation, character animation, extensions to the basic shading and lighting models, and procedural animation. Students will be expected to complete individual projects and participate in group exercises that explore CG as both a standalone medium and as an integral part of modern film/video production. Prerequisite: Computer Animation I or its equivalent.

Students will design, develop, and publish a digital game in a single semester under the leadership and guidance of Professors Fay and Perry. Though the professors will provide team leadership and game direction, the students will be the ones creating the game, including game design, concept art, storyboards, modeling, rigging, animation, shading, lighting, compositing, game programming, tool programming, project management, audio design, marketing, and publishing. We will likely develop the game using Unity and ideally publish to the Apple App store, the Android Marketplace, and possibly more platforms as well. We will make a free game, and release all assets and code generated in the class to the public domain. Students are expected to be skilled in at least one discipline relevant to game development, listed above. Prerequisite: At least two semesters of course work in a discipline or disciplines related to game development (programming, art, design, audio, management, etc.).

This tutorial course will introduce students to the production of animated short films with the tools and techniques of three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics. Readings and lectures will cover the theoretical foundations of the field, and the homework assignments will provide hands-on, project-based experience with production. The topics covered will include modeling (the building of 3D objects), shading (assignment of surface reflectance properties), animation (moving the objects over time), and lighting (placing and setting the properties of virtual light sources). Due to the large amount of material being covered, additional workshops outside of class may be scheduled.